(L.) Thouars, Fabaceae |
Present on Pacific Islands? yes
Primarily a threat at high elevations? no
Other Latin names: Atylosia scarabaeoides (L.) Benth.; Cantharospermum scarabaeoides (L.) Baill.
Common name(s): [more details]
Chinese: man cao chong dou |
English: peanut grass, tropical clover |
Habit: vine
Description: "Vines, woody, twining or trailing, to 2 m. Stems slender, ± pubescent. Leaves pinnately 3-foliolate; stipules small, ovate, hairy, usually deciduous; petiole 1-2 cm; stipels absent; petiolules extremely short; leaflets papery or nearly leathery, with glandular spots, sparsely pubescent on both surfaces, denser abaxially, basal veins 3, obviously convex below; terminal leaflet elliptic or obovate-elliptic to obovate, 1.2-4 x 0.8-1.5 (-3) cm, apex obtuse or rounded; lateral leaflets smaller, obliquely elliptic to obliquely obovate. Raceme axillary, usually less than 2 cm, 1-5-flowered; peduncle 2-5 mm, densely brown to dull brown villous. Calyx campanulate, 5-lobed, or 4-lobed with upper 2 incompletely connate; lobes linear-lanceolate. Corolla yellow, ca. 1 cm, usually deciduous; standard obovate, with emarginate auricle and claw at base; wings narrowly elliptic, slightly curved, base auriculate; keels curved at apex, densely very pale brown villous. Ovules several. Legume oblong, 1.5-2.5 x 0.4-0.6 cm, leathery, densely villous, transversely constricted between seeds. Seeds 2-7, dark brown, ellipsoidal, ca. 4 mm; strophiole convex" (Flora of China online).
"Perennial, prostrate or climbing, wiry-stemmed, pubescent vine with non-stipellate trifoliate leaves, the leaflets obovate with rounded tips, tomentose on both sides with soft hairs, grayish-green, up to 2.5 cm long and 1.2 cm wide, the lateral leaflets mostly symmetrical; flowers usually in groups of 2 in axils, about 6 mm long, reddish-orange; fruit a densely pubescent brownish pod, slightly constricted between the seeds, about 1-1.3 cm long and 6 mm wide, with 3-6 brown roundish seeds" (Stone, 1970; p. 327).
Habitat/ecology: A weed of open grasslands on Pacific islands (Stone, 1970; p. 327). In Fiji, "forming thick mats, or climbing, at elevations from near sea level to 300 m as a locally common weed along roadsides, on sand dunes, and in open fields and pastures" (Smith, 1985; p. 253).
Propagation: Seed
Native range: Madagascar eastward to tropical Asia (Stone, 1970; p. 327).
Presence:
Pacific | |||
Country/Terr./St. & Island group |
Location |
Cited status &
Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction? |
Reference &
Comments |
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US)
Northern Mariana Islands |
Alamagan Island |
introduced
|
Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 103) |
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US)
Northern Mariana Islands |
Guguan Island |
introduced
|
Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 103) |
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US)
Northern Mariana Islands |
Pagan Island |
introduced
|
Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 103) |
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US)
Northern Mariana Islands |
Rota Island |
introduced
|
Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 103) |
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US)
Northern Mariana Islands |
Tinian Island |
introduced
|
Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 103) |
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US)
Saipan |
Saipan Island |
introduced
|
Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 103) |
Fiji
Fiji Islands |
Viti Levu Island |
introduced
invasive |
Smith, Albert C. (1985) (p. 253)
As Atylosia scarabaeoides. Vouchers cited: Greenwood 731, 731A, 731B, 731C; DA 10728; DA 10280; DA 5974, DA 9290 (McKee 2860), DA 7389 (L.3049), DA 10749 |
Guam
Guam Island |
Guam Island |
introduced
invasive |
Stone, Benjamin C. (1970) (p. 327) |
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island) |
Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island) |
native
|
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) |
Philippines
Philippine Islands |
Philippine Islands |
native
|
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) |
Philippines
Philippine Islands |
Philippine Islands |
Merrill, Elmer D. (1923) (p. 315)
In open grasslands at low and medium altitudes. |
Pacific Rim | |||
Country/Terr./St. & Island group |
Location |
Cited status &
Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction? |
Reference &
Comments |
Australia
Australia (continental) |
Northern Territory |
native
|
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) |
Australia
Australia (continental) |
Queensland |
native
|
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) |
China
China |
China (People's Republic of) |
native
|
Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013)
"Fields, roadsides, grassy slopes, seasides; below 100-1500 m". |
China
China |
Hong Kong |
native
|
Wu, Te-lin (2001) (p. 139) |
Indonesia
Indonesia |
Indonesia (Republic of) |
native
|
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Java |
Japan
Ryukyu Islands |
Ryukyu Islands |
native
|
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) |
Malaysia
Malaysia |
Malaysia (country of) |
native
|
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) |
Taiwan
Taiwan Island |
Taiwan Island |
native
|
Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013)
"Fields, roadsides, grassy slopes, seasides; below 100-1500 m". |
Thailand
Thailand |
Thailand (Kingdom of) |
native
|
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) |
Vietnam
Vietnam |
Vietnam (Socialist Republic of) |
native
|
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) |
Indian Ocean | |||
Country/Terr./St. & Island group |
Location |
Cited status &
Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction? |
Reference &
Comments |
La Réunion (France)
La Réunion Island |
La Réunion Island |
introduced
|
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) |
Mauritius
Mautitius Islands (Mauritius and Rodrigues) |
Mauritius Island |
introduced
|
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) |
Mauritius
Mautitius Islands (Mauritius and Rodrigues) |
Rodrigues Island |
introduced
|
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) |
Control: If you know of control methods for Cajanus scarabaeoides, please let us know.